5:06 – mixed with whisk in pot of 4.5 cups cold water.5:07 – Flame on.5.21 – Begins to soft boil and continues for 5 min.5: 26 – Flame off, covered with towel, let set for 20 min because I had lost track of time. It should have been ready in 10.

Actual cook time = 20 min.

Package cook time recommended = 20-25 + time required to bring water to boil.

Trail Method savings is = to ¾ ounce fuel

Trail method

Fill stove with sufficient fuel to bring to boil the 4.5 cups and package contents and boil for an additional 5 min. Place pot on ground next to stove and cover with cozy material, let stand for 10 min...

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Creamy Potato

Bring 4.5 cups water to a boil. Whisk in contents of package and stir well. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle boil for 12-15 min. stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 min. prior to serving.

Actual Kitchen Method

11:27 - 4.5 cups of cold water with package ingredients mixed in.11:40 – boiled over sides of pot and flame turned off (oops) covered with towel.11:50 - uncovered and it was ready to eat.

Trail Method

Fill stove with sufficient fuel to bring to boil the 4.5 cups and package contents and boil for an additional 5 min. Place pot on ground next to stove and cover with cozy material, let stand for 10 min...

What do you guess for the portion size? What I'm thinking is one pack of food is more suited to 2 (maybe 3) people rather than one. That might justify the use of so much fuel. The cooking time isn't too bad compared to a mountain house type meal (time to boil + 10min soak). Of course, you could dump a mountain house meal into a pot of cold water and shorten it's total time too.

Which alcohol stove can handle enough fuel to boil 4.5 cups of water?

If I break up the meal into 2 portions I can cut the boil time and alcohol requirements but not the soak time (mountain house meals use ~16oz of water).

The only important question is whether or not meals like this could be considered as an alternative to freezer bag meals prepared at home? It saves me the fuss of pre-cooking but is it reasonable for the trail? Cons are it needs to be in the pot to save time rather than adding water to a bag.

How long does it take you guys to have a freezer bag meal ready to eat on the trail?? (Boil + Cook). What is the cleanup like?

"People are not persuaded by what we say, but rather by what they understand."

I started using freezer bag cooking because food odors cleanup was more difficult backpacking and really clean water has to be carried. Not thoroughly rinsing the soap, if a cursory cleanup, makes more people sick than giardia.

The "freezer bag cooking" method is so much more sanitary.

The cleanup is nothing more than PACK IT IN - PACK IT OUT!

Skidsteer has a nice video: Freezer Bag Cooking

I can't comment on soak time, boil time, or standing time.

I only started to use a timer for this forum.

I use a big odorproof Loksak Opsak for my "food bag" with the actual meals already re-packaged by me with a note what to add and how much. I have another Loksak Opsak, not as big, for the garbage bag.

from my website, The Ziplock Easy Zipper freezer bags are helped to stand upright, by having a pleated bottom, if you do not use a pot cozy or a container for support.

If available, select freezer bags that have two zipper tracks for more securely packing the food in your backpack.

In addition, I pack them all inside a Loksak Aloksak or an odorproof Loksak Opsak.

The tradeoff is having to pack the used bags out. If less than 5-7 days, this is not a big problem. I suggest keeping the used bags in an additional odorproof Loksak Opsak, and pack it out.

I bag meals in the bag ready to add hot water.

For multi-day hikes, and for coastal kayaking, I prefer "food bags" of "staples" as well as prepared meals ready to add hot water.

and

Remember:

Food odors attract bears, and perhaps worse, pesky field mice or chipmunks and other pack and tent and outdoor clothing chewing denizens of the campsite.

I may as well say it right here, salt-soaked sweaty gear or clothing is too much to resist for small critters. Avoid perspiration, ventilating your clothing or removing layers, or wash it out, or consider a mouse, chipmunk, squirrel-proof Ursak Minor.

In "bear country" learn how to properly hang a "bear bag". If required, rent or purchase a bear canister.

Please do not take food in your sleeping bag or in the tent.

I found this delightful 5 Ways to Attract Bears to Your Campsite site online I share here with you. Think about it.

I don't have to worry about grizzly but we have lots of black bear and coyote's where I spend my time and I'd rather not see either one in camp. I'll be cooking meals away from camp so I have that part covered.

It's hard to beat the sanitary and odor proofing benefit of the freezer bag method. The odor proof bags look like a good solution. Do you know of any diy alternatives to the bags? I wonder if I could just double bag my foodstuff and get the same result.

Skidsteer mentions 15-20min soak time in the video so the cooking time is comparable to the store bought dehydrated I'm looking at. He puts boiling water into the ziploc bag which I didn't think would work. I was worried about chemicals coming out of the bag or a seam busting.

"People are not persuaded by what we say, but rather by what they understand."

What do you guess for the portion size? What I'm thinking is one pack of food is more suited to 2 (maybe 3) people rather than one. That might justify the use of so much fuel. The cooking time isn't too bad compared to a mountain house type meal (time to boil + 10min soak). Of course, you could dump a mountain house meal into a pot of cold water and shorten it's total time too.

Which alcohol stove can handle enough fuel to boil 4.5 cups of water?

If I break up the meal into 2 portions I can cut the boil time and alcohol requirements but not the soak time (mountain house meals use ~16oz of water).

The only important question is whether or not meals like this could be considered as an alternative to freezer bag meals prepared at home? It saves me the fuss of pre-cooking but is it reasonable for the trail? Cons are it needs to be in the pot to save time rather than adding water to a bag.

How long does it take you guys to have a freezer bag meal ready to eat on the trail?? (Boil + Cook). What is the cleanup like?

Do an experiment with your remaining meal. Divide it in half into freezer bags. Boil 2 cups of water and pour into bag and let sit covered with cozy for 20 min. Mix thouroughly initially then mix again 10 min. later. At 20 min check for ready, let set for additional 5 min. if need be.

The Fancee Feest stove works well and I suspect the Companion Burner will work really nice, it has a capacity of 4 ounces fuel. It absorbs all fuel for the safety factor.

Freezer bag meals on the trail take 20 min start to finish depending on how hungry I am

Boiling water in a beer can, pop can, or food safe can is not safe. But people do.

Regarding "freezer bag cooking" the studies report if the water is not boiling, and it isn't by the time you have removed the pan from the heat, lifted, and poured the water, the temperature is in the safe-use range.

Be sure to select "freezer bags" because they are more sturdy than the other bags.

Yes. Before Opsak was developed for U.S. Navy Seals, I used my heavy plastic-type waterproof roll-top kayaking bag. No problem.

Simple double bag zip-lock bags are not enough. Both large and small "critters" have a keen sense of smell.

I had a nice backpack ruined, once, because chipmunks chewed thru my pack to get to the food bag.

I have had racoons chomp thru cans. Heavy foil food packets for reheating food are no obstacle for a racoon.

Food odor is that important.

I use a smaller Opsak for garbage. After used, I cut the zip-lock portion off to take up less space in the garbage bag.

I do take a lawn and leaf bag, in the event I see a "totally trashed" campsite. I pick it up and pack it out.

I also have my "camp kitchen" far away from my sleeping area. If I cannot "bear bag" in a tree, I put the "bear bag" quite far away from camp.

I am real happy with the Companion Burner, even in Montana Winter.

I am interested in the Fancee Feest because Sarah had such a good report.

zelph is sending me a Woodgaz wood burning stove to be used with the Companion Stove.

It seems to me, if I can eat within 20 minutes I am a "happy camper".

I like this method, so it must all be ready to eat in that time. I consume double-portions.

In Mountain House brand, I purchase the Pro-Pak because it makes a 16 ounce serving and is in the right size food pouch. I only have recent experience with Lasagna with Meat Sauce.

I use other brands from other suppliers, from the grocery store, or, make my own following recipes at Sarah's website, or, adapting recipes by using specialty dry ingredients from suppliers like King Arthur Flour and freeze-dried ingredients from PackIt Gourmet.

I practically always add "add-ins" to the recipe I often carry separately, or, put in the bag at home.